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Beerbower: It’s time to prepare for finals

Jeannette Beerbower, IC Columnist

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It’s time to prepare for finals.

You may complain, “Fall break just ended!” “The end of the semester is ages away!” I am aware. You’ve got half of 16 weeks stretching before you. But in reality, the time to start preparing was a while ago… about eight weeks, actually.

True, that is how far we are into the semester. But preparing for the final shouldn’t start when your professor hands you a paper labeled Final Exam Study Guide. It starts when he hands you one labeled Syllabus.

Perhaps after fall break you are motivated. More likely you are tired after a weekend you spent catching up on homework or working. Perhaps you didn’t do any school work — and you’d like to continue that way. In any case, it’s time to fight midterm tiredness and study for your finals.

What is the best way to study for finals? Pay attention during the semester and plan ahead. If you are just now starting to think about what you need to do before the semester ends, you’re already on your way to a bad grade. Claim your focus while you can.

Here’s a novel idea if you want to do well on your finals: go to class. While you’re there, pay attention. Perhaps when you’re not sure on that psychology final whether the answer is A or B, you will remember that one girl who always sits in the front and asks too many questions going on about that guy with a weird name — and that will help you will decide the answer is likely Skinner.

Take notes. Review notes. It’s much easier to do now than waiting until the last week of November to figure out that question on the study guide about some guy you don’t remember ever hearing of. Do the reading. Talk about what you’re learning with your classmates or family or whoever will listen. There’s no better way to learn something than to teach it yourself.

How can you prepare for finals week now? Free up time at the end by doing whatever you can ahead of time. Not only does this sort of planning ahead give you more time to finish final projects and study, you will have less work on your mind. This will lower stress and allow you to work more efficiently.

Every semester, I plan on completing whatever can be done early so that I have more time for the things that must be done at the end…and every semester I forget. I find myself complaining to my sister, “Why didn’t I do this earlier?” This short report could have been done any time during the semester, yet here I am with final exams and portfolios on my mind, trying to throw together a simple one-page paper. Revisions could have been done while this report was fresh in my mind. I could have read this chapter three weeks ago when I was lounging in the Student Union, bored.

Spreading things out decreases boredom and stress. I must deliberately remind myself of this lest I procrastinate again. Complete projects as soon as you have the opportunity. Some people work well under pressure, but it is well known that cramming is much less conducive to long-term memory than regular studying. One does not become a great pianist by playing for six hours once a week. One becomes a great pianist by daily practice.

Here’s a word you’ve heard before: discipline. If you’re anything like me, you need a lot of reminders about things you’ve heard before. You don’t need an amazing memory or extra days or easy classes to do well. You need discipline to use what you have well.

And one of the best ways to get school done well? Enjoy it. Choose to have a good attitude. Accept that you have to do it, and do it promptly with a smile on your face. Your whole life you will have to do things you don’t want to, and it’s always easier if you decide to do it without complaining.

Push on, fellow students. Fall break is over. It’s past time. Start studying for finals.

Jeannette Beerbower is a third-year majoring in English.

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